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No. You can't deduct the cost of travel as a form of education. This is true whether you are currently employed and travel to improve your job skills or if you are a college student and travel to get more experience in your field of study.
Travel for education purposes is only deductible as a job expense if you are attending a seminar or other such education opportunity. Without a formal educational setting, travel to gain knowledge does not qualify.
Your trip also does not qualify as a college education expense since the EF Foundation is not a qualified education institution. In order to be a qualified education institution the institution must be eligible to participate in a student aid program run by the U.S. Department of Education.
I received an official email from detours.com requesting me to donate to this charity so that it can help another person receive their educational tour. Once I receive the slip that o have done so. Can I use that as tax deductible?
correction eftours.com not detours
com (typo).
Did they claim to be an actual charity--recognized by the IRS as such-- or did they just solicit a donation? Just because you donate money does not necessarily mean the donation is tax deductible. Travel for education is not tax deductible, so it seems unlikely that this is a qualified charity. And if the donation is for a particular individual, it is not deductible. You have more homework to do on the tour company before you expect a tax deduction.
According to the EF Educational Tours reviews that I found it is impossible. I agree with other comments.
The answer is NO, you cannot deduct the tour, and based on the information given. NO, it does not count as a charity.
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